Entries Tagged as 'lord of the rings'

Friday: Amanda came down to watch Makai while Dallas and I went out for the night. First we had some happy hour drinks downtown with Jessica, Todd, Adam, Brian and Damien. Then we headed to the RoundarchIsobar holiday party at Siena Tavern. After 11 weeks, it was so nice to see all of my work friends, but it really did drive home the fact that I only have a few weeks left until I go back to work! Still a fun night. As per usual with the Isobar holiday parties: great food, endless open bar, lots of fun. This was the most drinks I’ve had in one night in literally a year. And the longest I stayed up forever (not counting New Years, when Makai was with us). Paired with the fact that I’d been sick the two previous days, I lost my voice for the whole weekend. So worth it, though!

Saturday: Amanda decided to stay over one more night instead of driving home and driving back on Sunday. We ate bacon all day and went to brunch at Revolution Brewing where she met her new favorite beer: Gravedigger Billy, a barrel-aged scotch ale.

Makai & Jessica & a bunch of beer & a grape soda.

Sunday: Richard, Stephanie and Jessica came down. We had lunch/brunch at the Goose Island Brewpub on Clybourn. Amanda met another new favorite beer: Extremely Naughty Goose, an imperial brown ale with a chocolate and whiskey flavor. I had the London Fog, a milk stout with chocolate and Earl Grey tea, and really liked that. We also both had more bacon in the form of bacon jam! This trip to Goose Island was Makai’s second restaurant outing (not counting Starbucks). I don’t think he even knew he went, though. He slept the whole time!

After lunch, Jess, Steph, Amanda and Makai went home and Richard and I went and saw The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. We have seen all of the Hobbit and LOTR movies together.

Update: More photos from the holiday party (via the official photographer).

For Zero Dark Thirty we went to the Icon theater on Roosevelt again. Jess and Paul and Kate joined us there. The movie is “the story of history’s greatest manhunt for the world’s most dangerous man” aka Osama bin Laden. I know that probably not every single thing in the movie is entirely accurate, it is a movie after all, but it made you think a lot about what goes on behind the scenes in all of this stuff. I think everyone liked the movie but it was super intense.

After the movie we met up with friends at Municipal Bar. Dallas and his friends have been hanging out here a lot lately, so it was nice to see, even if it wasn’t my most favorite place ever. I did like my huge cobb salad.

My brother and I had been trying to figure out a time to see The Hobbit since it opened in mid-December, but because of the holidays it never worked out until now. We both read all of the Lord of the Rings books and saw those movies together each year they came out. Even when I lived in New York we’d see them together because they always opened around Christmas and I’d go back home for Christmas. I’ve read the Hobbit twice, I think, at least, and so has my brother. When we were young we had the Betamax version of The Hobbit cartoon that came out in 1977 and watched it often.

We decided to see the movie at Navy Pier so we could see it on the IMAX screen in 3D. I liked the movie. It was long. Over 2.5 hours, but I didn’t think it dragged. It has been a long time since I read The Hobbit, the book, and I couldn’t remember all the details of what was about to happen, but when something happened then I’d remember it.

My brother and I also had brunch at Dunlay’s before the movie. We tried Longman & Eagle and Lula’s and both were jam packed. Dunlay’s had a line when we left, but not when we arrived. I had a great omelet and my brother had the Benedict of the Day, which was fried chicken eggs Benedict.

We also stopped by Todd and Adam’s to watch a little football and see how the sandwich bet went. Dallas lost a bet and had to make a fried green tomato and shrimp po’boy for Adam (and everyone else). Then we ran over to Revolution Brewing for dinner and I completed his Christmas gift, finally, but getting him a growler sleeve.

One of the Jonas Brothers. Just kidding. I think this was one of Colleen’s cousins.

Playing guitar along the river.

Mingling in the yard and on the deck.

Talking in the driveway.

Emily, Ging, Billy, Dallas and Phil playing frisbee game.

After Rob and Colleen’s wedding reception everyone headed back to Colleen’s parent’s house. The kids played out on the lawn all night, we drank the beer that Rob made, and there were lots of smores. I think this was the first wedding that featured frisbee game!

Billy, Ging, Killian, Liz, Dallas and I were all staying at the same hotel in Harpswell. When we got back we hit the free nacho bar and then ordered some late-night pizza from Papa John’s. Man, I hadn’t had Papa John’s for about a decade. It was good. We gorged on it while watching one of the Lord of the Rings movies.